Pitcairn Island: After the Mutiny on the Bounty

In considering how law applies to a particular crime, it is often necessary to consider the particular circumstances surrounding it–mitigating and otherwise.  Even while lawmakers are reiterating, “the law is the law,” in reality, it is often the level of guilt that must be considered even when a crime has clearly been committed.  And in certain situations, it’s even necessary to factor in certain historical information germane to the case.  Case in point: the unlikely history of the inhabitants of Pitcairn Island, a tiny, two-square mile rocky outcropping located in a remote area of the South Pacific, and most notably familiar for the infamous Mutiny on the Bounty that led to its occupation by Europeans.  Read more . . .

Marlon Brando: America's Greatest Film Actor

Considered one of the most creative, complex, and by some descriptions, psychotic actors ever to appear on film, Marlon Brando is widely recognized as the greatest actor of the 20th century, and by many, the greatest movie actor of all time.  Having crossed the line from obscurity to fame by his twenty-fourth birthday in 1948, Brando became an idol the likes of which is usually reserved for rock stars, while becoming the model for virtually every other aspiring actor from the moment he first appeared on screen. His performances literally stunned fans and colleagues alike, and neither Hollywood nor the public has seen anything like him before or since.  Read more . . .